Main point:
The Indo-Pak match was canceled at the World Championship of Legends. Indian players refused to play the match due to the recent terrorist incident and Shahid Afridi’s statement. Afridi spoke of keeping politics away from the game and expressed displeasure over the decision.
Delhi: Former Pakistan all -rounder Shahid Afridi on Monday expressed displeasure over the withdrawal of some Indian players from the match between India and Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (WCL). The match was to be played on Sunday at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, but many Indian players refused to participate. Due to this, the organizers had to cancel the match.
India refuses to play against Pakistan
According to reports, veteran players like Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan had already decided to withdraw from the match. He took this decision due to increasing protest after the terrorist attack in Pahalgam on 22 April. Although no official statement came from these players, Shikhar Dhawan told on social media that he decided not to play the match in view of the current “Geopolitical” conditions.
After the match was canceled, the organizers apologized to the Indian players and said that they did not intend to make anyone uncomfortable.
Shahid Afridi made a statement
While talking to the media, Shahid Afridi said that the game should be kept away from politics. He said, “We have come here to play cricket. I always say that cricket should be kept away from politics. A player should be a good representative of his country, not the reason for the controversy.”
Questioning this sudden decision of India, Afridi said that Indian players had also practiced before the match against Pakistan. He said, “If India did not have to play against Pakistan, he would have refused earlier. But now you have come, practiced and then changed everything in a day.”
The former Pakistani captain further said that the game connects people and if politics enters everywhere, the situation will never improve. He said, “We have come here to play cricket, talk and make good relationships. But, if a wrong person says something, everything goes bad.”
Afridi’s presence is the reason?
Some media reports also said that Afridi’s presence was the reason for the withdrawal of Indian players from the match. In fact, after the Pahalgam attack, Afridi gave a controversial statement which spread anger in India.
To this Afridi said, “If I had known that the match was being canceled because of me, I do not go to the ground. Cricket is at the top. Shahid Afridi is nothing, cricket is the biggest. If someone does not play against Pakistan, don’t play, sit down. But the game is big.”
At the same time, Kamil Khan, the owner of the Pakistan Champions team, said that the tournament will run according to its scheduled schedule. He told that if both teams come face to face in the semi-finals and finals, then the decision will be taken later. He also said that two digits of this match will be given to Pakistan.
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